Peace and Love
by mdoctor2727
Summary: What I imagine could be behind the scenes moments that lead up to the hand holding in the finale, followed by natural progression of Vex and Mark's relationship. I chose not to write how I think Dyson would react to them getting together, because I wanted just sweetness and light.


When Vex received the call from Mark, he thought he'd be drunk and need a ride home, or bored of the Ancients' party. He did not expect to hear grunts of anguish as his friend struggled to breathe and talk at the same time.

"Help. I've been stabbed. I'm in the park down the road from the condo where the party was. Hurry."

"I'm on my way, kid, just keep talking."

When he found Mark, crumpled over on a park bench, leaking life all over his once crisp white shirt, he let out a half sob of combined relief and worry. He immediately tried to staunch the flow of blood from the shifter's abdomen with his left hand, while cradling his head with his right.

"Where are the others? Where's your dad? Who did this?"

"I..Iris…Iris' body's mother. Iris killed the father, she…oh…there is something wrong with her. It was so terrible. Vex, I don't want to die."

"You won't, Love, I won't let you. I'll call Dyson—oh wait, there he is, I'll take you to him. Just hold on, Darling, well get you fixed right up."

While Mark was under Laurens care, Vex thought it best he stay away. Dyson, with his wolfish nature, would probably not be comfortable with someone he viewed as a foe anywhere near his wounded son. He tried not to ask how Mark was doing, too often. He feigned his usual flirty humor, but inside, he was aching. He also wanted to give the young man time to mourn Iris, who he had cared for.

Mark had fever dreams, while he was healing under heavy pain medication. He heard a man's voice, cracking with worry and unshed tears, saying "I'll take care of you, Love. I'm here, Darling." Over and over. He would turn to see the man's face, but instead would wake up, or worse, see Iris, standing with that poor man's blood on her hand.

When Mark was himself again, he started remembering those moments, when Vex was there, holding him, whispering sweetly to him, keeping him alive. He thought it was curious, that he had spoken to him in such a way, not as just a friend, or a kid. He'd been so gentle, so tender. He started to hope he hadn't imagined it.

Then things got bad. Trick had died, along with Bo's mother, who he hadn't known. And Bo was sick. Comatose. The little adoptive family became frazzled but focused, they were all working together to help Bo wake up. Dyson barely had time to talk to Mark, during that time. He spent more days verbally sparring with Vex. The Brit looked at him differently, lately. But he also had a sorrow behind his eyes, that Mark wanted to figure out. When he asked Vex if he had really done all the terrible things the others (particularly his father) had told him, he hoped it would be false. But the raw honesty, and deep shame and regret Vex shared had surprised Mark.

Once Bo awoke, there wasn't as much time to connect with Vex, for a while. When Mark called both the Light and Dark elders, against his father's orders, he had wanted to prove to the Fae world that there didn't have to be such distinctions. It hadn't gone well, at first, but then he found it in himself both to shift, and to persuade Dyson to be an unbiased leader and bring all the elders together against Hades. For the first time, he really felt like he and his father were on the same page.

Vex had resigned himself to solitude, he couldn't imagine the beautiful son of a Light fae could have any interest in him beyond friendship. So when Mark told him he'd made a choice, and laced his fingers with Vex's, the mesmer was completely taken aback. He also noticed a nervous twitch in the younger man's cheek, as he did it. Vex decided right then to let Mark take the lead, and be as patient as he needed. This was so different from any relationship he had ever had. He'd never truly been in love, for one. For another, he'd mostly had messy, kinky hook ups, for the past couple hundred years. He was also pretty sure Mark had never been with a man, or at least not one such as himself. Over the next few days, following their victory and the loss of Tamsin, while the rest were mourning and spending time with baby Dagny, Vex and Mark had been beginning to touch experimentally, whenever they were near each other. Public skin, hands, arms, faces, necks, ears. Mark shyly traced Vex's wrist bones, as the latter handed him a bottle to put away. Vex pressed his palm to Marks cheek when they passed each other behind the bar. Then one night, after they had closed the Dal, Vex took a break from sweeping to sit on a stool across from Mark as he put away clean glasses.

"Giving your Nimbus 2000 a rest?"

"I'm more of a Firebolt man, meself."

"Yeah, they look better in black, anyway."

"Just like me. I do like to color coordinate."

"You and Snape could share a wardrobe."

"What, and look like a human bin bag? No thank you. My fashion soul mate is a little closer to Sirius."

"More like Mundungus Fletcher."

Vex put hand to heart, eyes and mouth wide in a mime of shock.

"How dare you, you cheeky bastard! I am hurt."

Mark grinned broadly and leaned his elbows on the bar, his face inches from Vex.

"You'll get over it, " he said breathlessly, before closing the gap between them and kissing the mesmer.

When they broke the kiss, they wore twin drunken expressions.

"Wow, " Vex gushed dizzily. "That was…wow."

Mark had recovered his composure enough to laugh.

"I rendered you speechless! I should have kissed you sooner!"

"Oh shut up! Ass. But, yes, you should have. And you should keep kissing me. As often as possible, please and thank you." Vex batted his false eyelashes and pursed his lips comically.

Mark smirked and put away the last glass, then walked with confidence around the bar, placed a hand on each of Vex's knees, and stepped into the other man's space. He very slowly leaned in, listening to Vex's heartbeat race, inhaling the desire radiating off the older man, before kissing him slowly, deeply, intoxicatingly. Vex dug his fingers into Marks thick hair, and held on.

After a few weeks of intense make out sessions, they could no longer bear to wait for intimacy. They had gotten close to taking that step a few times, but Vex was afraid of going too far too fast. He decided they needed to discuss consent, past experience, what either of them were comfortable with, etc. To keep them from jumping straight to the fun part, he asked Bo to mediate. She was very open and comfortable about sex and sexuality, so she would likely help to keep things from being too awkward. When he asked, she felt honored.

The conversation had been long, and minimally uncomfortable. It turned out that Mark had actually been with men a few times, during his life on the streets. When watches and grifts had failed to keep him fed and sheltered, he had occasionally turned to hooking. He wasn't proud of it, but he wasn't ashamed, either. He'd risen above that time in his life, and his past was what it was.

Vex had the most experience, which was to be expected, but Mark was slightly surprised to find out that the older fae preferred the role of submissive, given his confident nature. Bo expressed that she had assumed that was one of the things that had attracted Vex to Mark, because the young man had such a confident, predatory personality.

Their terms and conditions out of the way, and Bo gone home to Lauren, the pair decided to have a drink and relax together. They both were a little nervous and didn't want to rush.

Mark had moved into what had been Trick's apartment above the bar, after he'd left it to him and his father.

He was washing up after dinner, and Vex was drying and putting away the clean dishes. They had music playing, a mix Vex had put together, and a song with risqué lyrics came on. Mark began to wiggle his hips seductively, bending over the sink and arching his back so his butt stuck out.

"You wouldn't do that if you knew what it's doing to me, Love."

"What makes you think that's not my intention?" Mark dropped into a sudden squat, then quickly popped back up and tossed his head.

Vex bit his lip with a groan. "Oh, my dear, what did I do to deserve you?"

The shifter stalked toward the mesmer in a manner that imitated his panther side. Vex opened his arms welcomingly. Mark placed his hands on the Brit's chest and pressed him, somewhat roughly, against the wall, before tilting his head up for a kiss. He let his hands wander to Vex's waist, slipped them around and grabbed the taller man's ass. Vex dug his hands in Marks hair, but couldn't keep them in one place long. They traveled over his broad back, then slipped under his shirt to feel his skin. He moved them around to the slim space between their bodies to caress Marks abdomen, and let out an audible sigh of pleasure. Mark laughed and broke from the kiss to look down.

"Darling, your body rivals that of Apollo. You are the picture of masculine beauty."

Mark blushed but grinned.

"It's all for you, V."

"Ha! Not all, I know for a fact you are nearly as vain as I am. But I dearly appreciate the work you put in."

Mark pulled his shirt off and stepped close again. Vex trailed kisses down his tan neck, reveling in the sounds Mark made as he did it. Then the shifter took the mesmer's hands and raised them above his head, pinning them against the wall with one hand. The sound Vex made was something like a surprised, yet aroused gasp. Mark began sniffing as much of Vex as he could reach in that position, finally coming to a halt beside the older Fae's ear, not quite touching.

"Mmm, you smell delicious," he growled. "I could eat you all up."

"Oh, yes, please!!"

Mark awoke to the sun streaming down on his face, and cracked an eye. To his mild surprise, Vex was lying propped on one elbow, a lazy grin on his face, watching him sleep.

"Good morning, my dear," he chimed. "Did Prince Charming sleep well?"

This brought a dark chuckle from the space between Mark and his pillow.

"So I'm Prince Charming, now, am I? I recall being the Big Bad Panther last night."

"Ohh, yes, my kitten, played to your strengths, and quite gloriously," Vex bit his lip. "I was simply referring to how gorgeous you are. You have the best skin! And that thick, dark hair. Mm! And don't get me started on your smile."

Still on his stomach, Mark gave another muffled laugh.

"Stop, before you give me a big head."

"Oh, sweetheart, you've got one of those all on your own."

"You know what I meant!"

By now, Mark had rolled over and had pushed Vex on the chest, playfully.

"I do, I just like to talk dirty as often as I am able," Vex smirked.

The shifter grabbed the mesmer by the hair and pulled him down for a lengthy kiss, which was cut short by the sound of the former's stomach growling.

"Oof, I need breakfast. Uhh…did we…"

"Break the table? Sadly, yes. We will be standing for brekkie, this morning. Perhaps a trip to Ikea, before luncheon?"

Mark had gotten distracted by Vex's Adams apple, which had been bobbing excitedly from all the talking. He started kissing, then biting, up and down the pale Fae's throat, and the pleased whimpers he received in return were waking his body up.

"I…I know you're a hungry kitty, love, but you can't eat me, I'm too sexy."

"Oh, can't I?" rumbled Mark. "I think I'd like to try…"

"Gods, I love you."

Mark dropped the game and his head popped up, eyes wide.

"You what? You do?"

"Uh. I. Uh," Vex cleared his throat. "Yes. I love you, Mark. I have for…for a long time, now."

"How long, would you say?"

"Really? You're making me do this now? Ok. I don't know for certain when it happened, but the thing that made me realize it was, um," Vex lost his confidence then. His gaze wandered and focused on some fixed point.

"You remember the thing with the Oracles?"

"Yeah, they showed each person their heart's deepest desire, or something?"

"Mine was you."

Mark sat bolt upright.

"Me? We were just friends, then. We hadn't even known each other long. Are you saying you were already in love with me…then?"

Vex picked at the chipped polish on one fingernail.

"Apparently. Is that too weird? I talked to…to Trick about it, at the time, because I was as shocked then as you are, now. I didn't tell him it was you. I just wanted to know…if it was something real, you know, within me. I think in a way, it was my heart telling me that now that I have chosen to live among the good guys, I have the option to be…happy. And I am, love. For the first time in my very long life. I am so happy."

Mark kissed him full on the mouth, then pressed his forehead against the mesmer's.

"Me too. I never knew what it was like, to be supported, and surrounded by people who cared about me. I was on my own for so long. I think that's what drew me to you. As different as you think we are, we actually are a lot alike."

Vex began kissing him again, then Mark leaned back for a moment.

"Oh…and…love you, too.


End file.
